Photo: Saskia2586 · CC BY-SA 3.04 school boards overlap in Elmira, covering Ontario’s four systems
Waterloo Region DSB runs the most, 33 of them; Waterloo CDSB, CS catholique MonAvenir and CS Viamonde run the rest. Results are mixed: 22 of 45 schools above the middle in Ontario, 13 below it. Within 3 km of Elmira are 45 elementary schools, 8 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, teaching 23,805 students.
What stands out about Elmira’s schools
One big school
Laurel Heights Secondary School is the largest school here, with 1,765 students. Every school ↓
The strongest results
The area’s best results are at Laurelwood Public School (elementary), in the top fifth in Ontario. Results ↓
Every figure here sets the area’s schools beside the rest of its province.
Which of the 4 boards runs which school
The boards and their schools here.
The four systems cover the same streets, so the nearest school may not be the one a family’s system offers: English or French, public or Catholic, each has its own board.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Region DSBLaurel Heights, Grand River, Elmira District, Bluevale, Chicopee Hills, Laurelwood, Lackner Woods, Lester B Pearson … | English public | 33 | 16,110 |
| Waterloo CDSBSt David Catholic, Saint John Paul II Catholic, St Agnes Catholic, St Daniel Catholic, Canadian Martyrs Catholic, St Luke Catholic, St Nicholas Catholic, Sir Edgar Bauer Catholic … | English Catholic | 16 | 6,540 |
| CS catholique MonAvenirÉSC Père-René-de-Galinée, ÉIC Père-René-de-Galinée, ÉÉC Mère-Élisabeth-Bruyère | French Catholic | 3 | 960 |
| CS ViamondeDavid Saint-Jacques, David-Saint-Jacques | French public | 2 | 195 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How Elmira’s schools do on Ontario’s tests
EQAO’s Grade 3, 6 and 9 assessments and the literacy test, 2024-25: each school against every school in Ontario.
Its School Grade is A: it compares these results with the other towns of the province.
The area’s schools by fifth of the province
Each school’s band is the average of its measures’ fifths. The mark shows an even fifth of the area’s schools.
| Measure | Schools | Middle here | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 reading | 38 | 78% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 38 | 66% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 38 | 69% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 38 | 86% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 38 | 86% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 38 | 56% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 7 | 70% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 7 | 88% | 85% |
On Grade 9 math the area runs ahead, 70% against 55% in Ontario. 4 measures above the provincial middle, 0 below, out of 8. Over three years, 15 schools gained on most measures and 22 lost ground.
Every school’s results (45)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Laurelwood Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 82% · G3 math 90% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 88% | Top fifth |
| Northlake Woods Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 87% · G3 writing 84% · G3 math 93% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 78% | Top fifth |
| ÉSC Père-René-de-GalinéeSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 70% · OSSLT 94% | Top fifth |
| École secondaire David Saint-JacquesSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 70% · OSSLT 100% | Top fifth |
| Abraham Erb Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 81% · G3 writing 83% · G3 math 79% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 85% | Top fifth |
| St Matthew Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 86% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 83% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 72% | Top fifth |
| Bluevale Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 75% · OSSLT 88% | Second fifth |
| Lackner Woods Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 80% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 77% | Second fifth |
| St David Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 67% · OSSLT 97% | Second fifth |
| Millen Woods Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 88% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 79% | Second fifth |
| N A MacEachern Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 97% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 81% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 55% | Second fifth |
| Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 75% · G3 writing 74% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 80% | Second fifth |
| Lester B Pearson Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 75% · G3 writing 62% · G3 math 73% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 68% | Second fifth |
| St Luke Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 82% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 73% | Second fifth |
| ÉÉC Mère-Élisabeth-BruyèreElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 84% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 73% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 68% | Second fifth |
| Laurel Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 83% · OSSLT 87% | Second fifth |
| Saint John Paul II Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 62% · G3 math 66% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 94% · G6 math 74% | Second fifth |
| Winston Churchill Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 81% · G3 writing 81% · G3 math 65% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 56% | Second fifth |
| Mackenzie King Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 50% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 87% | Second fifth |
| Breslau Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 79% · G3 writing 61% · G3 math 80% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 85% · G6 math 45% | Second fifth |
| St Clement Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 83% · G6 reading 79% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 66% | Second fifth |
| St Jacobs Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 69% · G3 math 75% · G6 reading 79% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 71% | Second fifth |
| Chicopee Hills Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 79% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 57% | Middle fifth |
| Conestogo Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 93% · G3 writing 86% · G3 math 86% · G6 reading 77% · G6 writing 77% · G6 math 55% | Middle fifth |
| Elmira District Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 63% · OSSLT 86% | Middle fifth |
| Riverside Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 81% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 67% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 56% | Middle fifth |
| Sir Edgar Bauer Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 78% · G6 math 60% | Middle fifth |
| St Boniface Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 79% · G3 writing 77% · G3 math 79% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 41% | Middle fifth |
| St Teresa Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 45% | Middle fifth |
| St Teresa of Avila Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 67% · G6 reading 80% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 47% | Middle fifth |
| Lexington Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 67% · G3 math 77% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 60% | Middle fifth |
| Grand River Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 58% · OSSLT 83% | Middle fifth |
| Floradale Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 67% · G3 writing 58% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 85% · G6 math 53% | Fourth fifth |
| Sandowne Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 73% · G3 writing 50% · G3 math 57% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 35% | Fourth fifth |
| St Agnes Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 71% · G6 reading 73% · G6 writing 74% · G6 math 43% | Fourth fifth |
| St Nicholas Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 58% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 77% · G6 math 44% | Fourth fifth |
| Crestview Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 68% · G3 writing 56% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 53% | Fourth fifth |
| Franklin Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 70% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 63% · G6 reading 74% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 31% | Fourth fifth |
| Lincoln Heights Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 50% · G6 reading 75% · G6 writing 75% · G6 math 47% | Fourth fifth |
| John Mahood Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 57% · G3 math 51% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 74% · G6 math 43% | Fourth fifth |
| Smithson Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 64% · G3 writing 48% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 69% · G6 writing 79% · G6 math 57% | Fourth fifth |
| Bridgeport Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 51% · G3 writing 42% · G3 math 53% · G6 reading 70% · G6 writing 72% · G6 math 50% | Bottom fifth |
| St Daniel Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 50% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 40% · G6 reading 80% · G6 writing 73% · G6 math 42% | Bottom fifth |
| Prueter Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 58% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 50% · G6 reading 62% · G6 writing 67% · G6 math 17% | Bottom fifth |
| Cedarbrae Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 21% · G3 writing 24% · G3 math 24% · G6 reading 76% · G6 writing 62% · G6 math 14% | Bottom fifth |
Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 (EQAO results; N/R where groups are too small). Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Where the 54 schools in and around Elmira are
Every school as a pin, coloured by system; each opens its own page.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Elmira
Each school by its language of instruction, with the share in Ontario marked.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
The 5 French-language schools are ÉIC Père-René-de-Galinée, ÉSC Père-René-de-Galinée, École secondaire David Saint-Jacques and École élémentaire David-Saint-Jacques; CS catholique MonAvenir and CS Viamonde runs the public ones.
Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives French-speaking parents the right to French-language schooling for their children, through the French-language boards.
Who runs Elmira’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
Counted by who runs them: English public 33, English Catholic 16 and French-language 5.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Elmira
French-language schools
A child qualifies for a French-language school when a parent’s first language is French or a parent went to French school in Canada; an admissions committee can admit others.
Catholic schools
A Catholic elementary school usually asks for a Catholic parent or a baptized child; a Catholic high school admits all.
The neighbourhood school
Where a family lives sets the school: each board draws a catchment around every one of its schools, and a child living inside it has a place there. Other schools take children from outside when they have room.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 54 schools in and around Elmira
Show all 45 elementary schools
High schools within reach of Elmira
Secondary and all-grade schools within 15 km, by distance.
Within 15 km, families can reach 13 high schools: 9 English public and 4 English Catholic. Elmira District Secondary School is closest, at 6.3 km.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmira District Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,305 | 6.3 km |
| St David Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 1,080 | 7.2 km |
| Waterloo Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,480 | 7.7 km |
| Bluevale Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,115 | 8.2 km |
| Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,650 | 10 km |
| Laurel Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,765 | 11 km |
| Cameron Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,765 | 12 km |
| Grand River Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,560 | 12 km |
| Resurrection Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 1,920 | 12 km |
| Eastwood Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,270 | 13 km |
All 13 secondary schools
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,555 | 14 km |
| Notre Dame Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | – | – | 15 km |
| St Mary's High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 2,240 | 15 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Alternative, adult and other schools around Elmira
Outside the usual elementary and high schools: alternative programs at Rosemount - U Turn School. Their cards ↑
The kinds as the provincial lists give them (alternative, adult and continuing education, online, provincial schools).
Towns its size in Ontario
Places of about the same size and their schools in or within 3 km, largest first.
| Town | Population | Schools | Students | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas | 49,388 | 14 | 8,555 | 0 | 0.6 km |
| … | |||||
| Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown | 32,069 | 44 | 20,600 | 0 | 0.3 km |
| Centretown | 32,035 | 55 | 17,175 | 21 | 0.7 km |
| Lisgar | 31,627 | 40 | 21,935 | 0 | 0.3 km |
| Grimsby | 31,478 | 15 | 8,330 | 0 | 1.3 km |
| Elmira | 31,382 | 54 | 23,805 | 5 | 6.5 km |
| St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands | 31,360 | 81 | 24,545 | 5 | 1.1 km |
| Annex | 30,705 | 123 | 38,790 | 10 | 1 km |
| Rockland | 30,375 | 20 | 5,495 | 13 | 4.1 km |
| Glenfield-Jane Heights | 30,197 | 67 | 26,595 | 2 | 1.2 km |
| … | |||||
| Woodbridge | 18,835 | 43 | 18,670 | 2 | 0.3 km |
75 of 170 similar towns count more schools. A French-language school is within reach in 139 of the 171.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around Elmira
For each nearby town, its schools in or within 3 km of its outline, with straight-line distances.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmira | 54 | 5 | 19 | 6.5 km |
| Bridgeport North 6.6 km | 18 | 2 | 5 | 3.2 km |
| Waterloo 8.2 km | 58 | 2 | 16 | 0.7 km |
| Bridgeport East 9 km | 40 | 2 | 11 | 1.7 km |
| Fairfield 9.5 km | 31 | 2 | 8 | 1.4 km |
| Mt. Hope Huron Park 9.9 km | 33 | 2 | 7 | 1.2 km |
| Central Frederick 11 km | 36 | 1 | 8 | 1.3 km |
Waterloo has the most schools nearby, 58.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The kinds of school. Elementary and secondary come from the grades each school offers; a school offering both counts as all-grade.
- Which schools count. Each school is placed by its address point; those inside Elmira or within 3 km of it are here.
- What isn’t here. No province rates its schools by inspection, and enrolment covers one year (Ontario and Alberta only), so there is no trend.
- Bands, not ranks. Ontario’s results are whole percentages with small groups left out, so the page gives fifths, not ranks.
- Boards and systems. Every public school has a board: English or French, and in this province public or Catholic too. Independent schools have none.
- The year. The province’s school list, 2024-25.
Questions about schools in Elmira
How many schools are there in Elmira?
10 in the town, 44 just beyond it, within 3 km.
Is there a French-language school in Elmira?
Yes: ÉIC Père-René-de-Galinée, ÉSC Père-René-de-Galinée, École secondaire David Saint-Jacques and École élémentaire David-Saint-Jacques, the French-language schools here.
Which boards run the schools in Elmira?
Waterloo Region DSB (33), Waterloo CDSB (16), CS catholique MonAvenir (3) and CS Viamonde (2), with each one’s schools in brackets.
How do I get a place at a school in Elmira?
Enrolment goes through the board; schools outside your area take students when they have room.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 and school contact list (Open Government Licence – Ontario) · map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).